The Geneva Auto Show, one of the oldest automotive exhibitions dating back to 1905, will not take place in 2025. The organizing committee announced the decision on Friday, attributing it to "uncertainties linked to the automotive industry and the eroded attractiveness of the major European shows."

After a four-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the show returned this year with limited participation, featuring only Renault Group, Lucid, and several Chinese automakers. The event's future was jeopardized when Swiss authorities made a last-minute decision to cancel the 2020 show to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Historically, the Geneva Auto Show attracted over 500,000 visitors annually and served as neutral territory for European automakers amid other significant shows in France and Germany. However, interest has waned in recent years.

Despite canceling the Geneva event, the organizing committee remains committed to planning a Qatar auto show in November 2025. This Middle Eastern event, first held in 2023 under the title Geneva International Motor Show Qatar, aims to attract a new audience outside Europe. "It's satisfying to realize that motor shows continue to appeal to brands in different parts of the world, and that the Geneva International Motor Show has reinforced its appeal in the Middle East," said Geneva Auto Show CEO Sandro Mesquita in a statement.

Nevertheless, the Swiss show will not be revived. "The lack of interest shown by manufacturers in the Geneva Salon in a difficult industry context, the competition from the Paris and Munich shows which are favored by their domestic industry, and the investment levels required to maintain such a show, sound the final blow for a future edition," said Alexandre de Senarclens, president of the foundation that organized the show. Consequently, the foundation will also be dissolved.

In an attempt to revive interest for the 2024 event, organizers had reduced costs to attract more automakers. Despite these efforts, only nine brands participated: Renault, Dacia, BYD and its subbrands Denza and Yangwang, Lucid, MG, new SAIC brand IM, and Italian design house Pininfarina.

The U.S. light-vehicle market witnessed a blend of outcomes in April, with Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. reporting sales gains, while Hyundai and Kia faced declines.

Toyota Motor Corp. saw a notable surge in sales for the sixth consecutive month, buoyed by a substantial increase in hybrid deliveries. Total sales volume rose by 14% to 211,818 vehicles, with electrified vehicle sales soaring by 56% to reach 77,228 units. The Toyota division recorded a 15% increase in sales, while Lexus experienced a more modest 4.8% uptick.

Among Toyota's top-selling models, the Camry experienced a slight decline of 5.4%, while the Corolla and RAV4 posted impressive gains of 34% and 29%, respectively. However, the Prius and Tacoma witnessed declines of 33% and 26%, respectively. Toyota reported ending April with 217,080 vehicles in stock, representing a 26-day supply, indicating a healthy inventory level compared to the previous year.

In contrast, Honda Motor Co. reported a modest 0.4% increase in volume, with the Honda division recording a 3.2% rise in deliveries while Acura experienced a decline of 21% for the fourth consecutive month. Despite a slight decrease in inventory levels compared to the previous month, Honda brand inventories remained higher than those at the end of April 2023.

Hyundai and Kia faced challenges in April, with Hyundai's sales dropping by 3.1% to 68,603 vehicles and Kia's sales declining by 3.6% to 65,754 vehicles. However, both manufacturers saw increases in EV and hybrid deliveries, reflecting a growing trend in the market. Notably, Kia achieved a monthly EV sales record of 5,045 units, with the EV6 model experiencing a significant 65% increase in volume.

Subaru continued its upward trajectory with a 9.5% increase in deliveries, driven by strong demand for the Forester model, which saw an impressive 85% surge in volume. Genesis, after 17 consecutive monthly gains, experienced a 6% decline in sales, primarily due to lower GV70 volume.

Mazda reported a 3.8% decrease in sales for April following five consecutive months of growth.

Looking ahead, analysts project a slight decline of around 2% in U.S. light-vehicle sales for April, attributed to one less selling day compared to the previous year and weaker fleet shipments. Despite challenges such as elevated vehicle prices and high interest rates, consumer demand remains resilient, supporting continued growth in the market.

During its Paris summit this week, the director of AWS France announced the availability of Amazon Bedrock generative AI tools for French customers, alongside other models provided to users.

At the beginning of 2023, Amazon unveiled its own offering of general artificial intelligence for its cloud customers: Amazon Bedrock. Until now, this tool has been exclusively available in certain regions of its cloud service. The company took advantage of its Amazon Web Services Summit in Paris this week to officially launch its tool in the Europe (Paris) region. This means that French customers will be able to utilize Amazon Bedrock while ensuring that the data processed by the tool remains in Europe, resulting in lower latency times than before. Amazon states that several hundred customers are already using its solution in France, including Air Liquide, EDF, Engie, and Accor.

Amazon Bedrock is a tool that allows users to leverage various AI models available in the market, adapt them to specific scenarios with private data, and ultimately build applications. The service is accessible via an API, and the company assures that customer data is not used for training the models. However, this data can be used within secure instances focused on specific contexts, thus enhancing the quality and relevance of responses.

The company offers its "in-house" models with Bedrock, such as Amazon Titan, as well as those from major market players like:

• Meta's LLama 2
• Anthropic's various Claude models
• The open-source image generation model Stable Diffusion
• The LLMs offered by the French Mistral AI, with Mistral Large previously only available on Azure. Mistral has also announced the availability of its new language model, Mistral Large, on Bedrock. The French company has already offered two of its models, Mistral 7B and Mistral 8x7B, on the Amazon platform since February.

In addition to Bedrock, Amazon's AI efforts in the cloud are also reflected in AWS Trainium chips, dedicated to AI model training, and AWS Inferentia for accelerating the performance of generative AI-based applications.

In February, there was a significant shift in the European automotive market as plug-in hybrid vehicle sales outpaced those of battery-electric vehicles, marking a departure from the prevailing trend.

Data released by the industry association ACEA revealed a notable increase of 12 percent in plug-in hybrid sales last month, reaching a total of 72,376 units compared to February 2023. In contrast, sales of battery-electric vehicles experienced a slightly lower growth rate of 10.3 percent during the same period.

Preliminary figures from market analyst Dataforce, excluding statistics from several smaller countries, indicated that both plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles exhibited similar growth rates. Specifically, full-electric car sales rose by 11 percent, while plug-in hybrids saw a growth rate of 10.9 percent, according to Dataforce data.

Importantly, plug-in hybrids surpassed the overall market growth rate of 10.3 percent, as reported by ACEA. Similarly, Dataforce figures indicated a market growth rate of 10.3 percent.

The surge in plug-in hybrid sales can be attributed to their role as a transitional technology towards full electrification, particularly as growth in battery-electric vehicle sales slows down. Automakers are increasingly turning to plug-in hybrids to meet their CO2 emissions targets, with the latest models boasting WLTP emissions as low as 19 grams per km and offering more than 100 km of electric-only range.

However, critics argue that plug-in hybrids, often viewed as "compliance" vehicles, may have higher real-world emissions due to users' failure to keep them fully charged. To address this concern, the EU has initiated monitoring of plug-in hybrids with onboard diagnostics and is expected to revise their homologation requirements in the future.

Despite these challenges, executives at Europe's premium brands anticipate stable or increasing plug-in hybrid sales. BMW's sales chief, Jochen Goller, expressed confidence in the steady performance of plug-in hybrid sales in 2024, with potential growth in full-electric models. Similarly, Audi CEO Gernot Dollner and Mercedes CEO Ola Kallenius emphasized their commitment to electric mobility while acknowledging the importance of maintaining flexibility in response to market dynamics.

In a further indication of the continued relevance of plug-in hybrids, Chinese automaker BYD announced plans to introduce a plug-in version of its Seal midsize SUV in Europe, expanding its offerings beyond electric vehicles.

While plug-in hybrid sales lagged behind the market in 2023, there are signs of resurgence. Market share for plug-in hybrids in the EU stood at 7.7 percent at the end of 2023, reflecting a 7 percent decline from the previous year. However, in February, their EU market share was 7.3 percent, fueled by a surge in sales of full-hybrid models.

The best-selling plug-in hybrids in February included the Volvo XC60, Porsche Cayenne, Mercedes GLC, Ford Kuga, and BMW X1. Bjorn Annwall, Volvo Cars' chief commercial officer, highlighted the company's focus on mild- and plug-in-hybrid models, recognizing them as a stepping stone for consumers transitioning to full electrification.

In conclusion, while challenges remain, plug-in hybrids continue to play a significant role in the automotive market's transition towards electrification, offering a viable solution to meet emissions targets while providing consumers with a practical alternative to traditional internal combustion engines.

The 2024 Geneva Auto Show, despite its diminished scale compared to previous iterations, served as a crucial stage for the automotive industry. Notably absent were major German manufacturers such as Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and Volkswagen, alongside prominent Asian brands like Toyota and Hyundai. However, the event witnessed significant unveilings from automakers that did attend, signaling key advancements in the electric and sustainable automotive sector.

Renault, a prominent player at the show, seized the opportunity to unveil its highly anticipated Renault 5 small EV. This retrofuturistic model, priced competitively at less than €25,000, is poised to challenge potential competitors from China. Boasting two battery sizes and up to 400 km range, the Renault 5 is built on the innovative AmpR Small platform. This platform not only enhances cost efficiency by leveraging components from the Renault-Nissan CMF-B platform but also offers a long wheelbase, a flat floor, a low center of gravity, and reduced weight, ensuring optimal performance and agility.

Meanwhile, China's SAIC made a significant impression with two launches: the MG3 small car and the L6 sedan from its new premium brand, IM. These additions underscore SAIC's commitment to innovation and sustainability in the automotive landscape.

Another standout exhibitor was Lucid, the U.S.-based EV maker founded by former Tesla CTO Peter Rawlinson. Making its European debut, Lucid showcased its Air sedan alongside the delayed Gravity SUV. The Air Pure variant, with its rear-wheel-drive configuration, offers an accessible entry point into the luxury EV market, starting at approximately €85,000. On the other end of the spectrum, the high-performance Sapphire variant, featuring three electric motors and lightning-fast acceleration, targets discerning enthusiasts with a price tag of around €230,000.

Dacia, Renault Group's Romanian subsidiary, unveiled a refreshed lineup that underscores its commitment to value-driven innovation. Notable highlights include the updated Spring electric minicar, the new generation Duster small SUV, and a prototype of the Sandrider, Dacia's ambitious Dakar rally-raid contender.

Overall, while the 2024 Geneva Auto Show may have been marked by the absence of some industry heavyweights, it nevertheless served as a stage for significant advancements in electric mobility, sustainable transportation, and value-driven innovation. As the automotive landscape continues to evolve, these unveilings underscore the industry's resilience and commitment to shaping a more sustainable future.

A major advancement in the partnership between Nvidia and Ansys was announced at CES 2024. Ansys' AVxcelerate sensors will now be integrated into Nvidia's Drive Sim simulator, based on the Omniverse platform dedicated to industrial digitization applications. Ansys, a company specializing in digital simulation solutions applied to various fields such as structural mechanics, fluid dynamics, thermal calculation, and electromagnetic analysis, will thus be able to use the simulation results from its sensors to validate and train advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for autonomous vehicles.

According to Ansys, integrating AVxcelerate sensors with Nvidia's Drive Sim platform will enhance high-definition, scalable 3D environments. Ansys' precise physical solvers for camera, lidar, and radar sensors will be utilized to generate scenarios in Drive Sim. This integration will provide users of Drive Sim with AVxcelerate Sensors licenses the opportunity to develop, train, test, and validate audiovisual perception systems, while reducing time and costs.

Furthermore, Nvidia emphasizes that integrating AVxcelerate sensor simulation results with Drive Sim provides greater flexibility for developers to work on their autonomous vehicle technology. Nvidia's Omniverse platform allows users to develop 3D workloads based on OpenUSD, an open-source framework developed by Pixar Animation Studios. This flexibility and modularity offered by OpenUSD enable developers to create scalable simulations and serve as a data factory for training artificial intelligence models, according to Ansys.

The German parliament has granted approval for legislation aimed at facilitating the acquisition of citizenship and removing restrictions on holding dual citizenship last friday. The proposal, advocated by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left, socially liberal coalition, garnered a majority vote of 382-234, with 23 lawmakers abstaining. While the government contends that the move will enhance immigrant integration and attract skilled labor, the main center-right opposition criticizes it, asserting that it could devalue German citizenship.

The approved legislation reduces the residency requirement for citizenship eligibility from eight to five years, or three years in the case of "special integration accomplishments." German-born children automatically become citizens if one parent has been a legal resident for five years, down from the current eight years. Additionally, the law eliminates restrictions on dual citizenship, a departure from the existing requirement that individuals from countries outside the European Union and Switzerland relinquish their previous nationality upon gaining German citizenship.

The government notes that 14 percent of the population, over 12 million out of 84.4 million inhabitants, lacks German citizenship, with around 5.3 million having resided in Germany for at least a decade. Germany's naturalization rate is reportedly below the EU average. In 2022, 168,500 people were granted German citizenship, the highest figure since 2002, with a notable increase in Syrian citizens being naturalized.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasizes that the reform aligns Germany with European neighbors like France and aims to attract skilled workers. The legislation specifies that those seeking naturalization must be able to support themselves and their dependents, with exceptions for "guest workers" who came to West Germany before 1974 and those who arrived in communist East Germany to work.

The existing requirement for citizenship applicants to adhere to the "free democratic fundamental order" is retained, with the new version explicitly stating that antisemitic and racist acts are incompatible with this commitment. However, the conservative opposition argues that Germany is relaxing citizenship requirements at a time when other countries are tightening theirs, describing the legislation as a "citizenship devaluation bill."

The citizenship law overhaul is part of a broader series of social reforms agreed upon by Scholz's three-party coalition upon taking office in late 2021.

China has emerged as a formidable player in the global electric vehicle (EV) market, and the recent unveiling of Xiaomi Corp.'s first electric vehicle, the SU7, is a testament to the nation's ambitious strides in automotive innovation. Xiaomi's entry into the EV arena, targeting industry giants like Tesla Inc. and Porsche AG, signals a new chapter in the competitive landscape of China's burgeoning electric vehicle sector.

At a grand event hosted at the China National Convention Center, Xiaomi's co-founder and CEO, Lei Jun, proudly introduced the SU7, a five-seat sedan designed to rival luxury car brands. The SU7 boasts an impressive 800-kilometer range per charge, adjustable spoilers, a top speed of 265 kilometers per hour, and a unique array of colors. Xiaomi plans to collaborate with renowned Chinese battery manufacturers, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. and BYD Co., offering consumers single and dual motor configuration options.

Lei Jun's foray into the EV market is backed by a substantial $10 billion investment, aligning with Xiaomi's disruptive impact in the smartphone industry. The SU7, positioned alongside Porsche's Taycan Turbo and Tesla's Model S in terms of performance and technology, is expected to be competitively priced, although the exact figures are yet to be disclosed.

While Xiaomi aims to revolutionize the EV market, it faces challenges in China's evolving regulatory landscape. Constraints such as manufacturing permit limitations prompted Xiaomi to form a partnership with Beijing Automotive Group Co. for EV production. The discontinuation of significant state EV subsidies in 2022 adds another layer of complexity to Xiaomi's entry into the competitive market.

Lei Jun remains undeterred, positioning the SU7 as a viable alternative to higher-priced competitors. Addressing market speculation about the SU7's price, Lei hinted that it would surpass the rumored 99,000 yuan, aligning more closely with higher-end models often priced over 400,000 yuan. 

Xiaomi's venture into the electric vehicle market adds a new dimension to China's rapidly evolving automotive landscape. With the SU7's impressive features and Lei Jun's ambitious vision, Xiaomi aims to disrupt the status quo and compete with established players on both the domestic and global fronts. As China continues to assert itself as a key player in the electric vehicle revolution, Xiaomi's SU7 promises to be a pivotal contender, embodying the nation's commitment to driving innovation and sustainability in the automotive sector.

China's commitment to EVs remains evident as the country leads global sales, experiencing a 29% increase in EV sales year-to-date as of September. Xiaomi's entry into the EV market aligns with broader trends, reflecting China's dedication to sustainable transportation.

The annual MATLAB EXPO U.K. event attracted 600 delegates this year, offering a platform for users to delve into the latest advancements. The focus of the event spanned networking, technical presentations, and shared experiences covering various technology and science domains, including AI, telecommunications, autonomous systems, robotics, and electrification.

Richard Rovner, VP of Marketing at MathWorks in Natick, Massachusetts, emphasized the significance of MATLAB EXPO in user communication. He pointed out the challenge users face in keeping up with over 130 software products and biannual releases. Despite the wealth of information available on MathWorks' website and through regular digital communications, Rovner highlighted the dedicated and focused nature of the event, providing users with the opportunity to stay abreast of new capabilities and learn from each other.

In a discussion about the increasing complexity of embedded systems, Rovner acknowledged the two-decade growth in complexity across various applications, such as aero, auto, and industrial automation. He emphasized the integration of software into the early stages of the design process, making software design an integral part of the entire workflow.

To illustrate the complexity of embedded systems, Rovner shared an example of an intelligent sensor application incorporating AI. He highlighted the need to select the correct algorithm, plan algorithm training and testing, consider embedded design, deployment to the network, and address trends like digital twins and autonomous operation. Rovner emphasized the relevance of adopting a model-based design perspective, offering a platform that accelerates the development of similar devices.

Jos Martin, Director of Engineering at MathWorks, contributed insights into the evolving nature of system complexity. He noted that what was considered simple two decades ago is now significantly more intricate. Martin emphasized the substantial increase in lines of code, from 30,000 to two million, in contemporary systems. He explained why startups opt for MathWorks products from the outset, citing the necessity for rapid, cost-effective development of complex systems to create valuable products.

Martin also discussed the changing approach to system design, driven partly by necessity. With the market pushing for innovative uses of embedded hardware, complexity has become intrinsic due to the abundance of computational resources available in modern hardware.

Highlighting the importance of productivity, Martin suggested that both large and small organizations should prioritize efficiency. He shared an example of a one-person development organization realizing increased productivity through the use of system-level design tools. Martin advocated for a system model approach, using toolchains to enhance effectiveness and focusing on higher-level design concepts to improve productivity and produce higher-quality designs.

Rovner concluded by advising engineers and developers to consider modeling and simulation tools when designing engineered products. He emphasized that this approach accelerates the transition from prototype to product, reduces costs, and minimizes errors by identifying bugs early in the design process.

The adoption of new technologies plays a pivotal role in business transformation, enhancing productivity and profitability. Gartner has identified five key technologies that businesses should consider incorporating to enrich their operational capabilities.

Here are the five technologies identified by Gartner:

• The Digital Human: While generative AI isn't at the top of the list, the concept of the digital human, a subset of generative AI, takes the spotlight. Digital humans are AI creations that embody real individuals in various aspects, such as personality, appearance, humor, and knowledge. Many companies have adopted digital humans to boost engagement and address the growing interest in AI. However, Gartner cautions against inappropriate behaviors like biases and stereotypes that may arise, emphasizing the need to establish rules.
• Satellite Communications: This technology, exemplified by SpaceX's Starlink, offers low-latency connectivity from low Earth orbit satellites. Satellite communications are garnering increasing interest as they have the potential to revolutionize communication between individuals and businesses. However, Gartner highlights that this emerging industry requires a cautious approach due to its complexity.
• Miniature and Ambient IoT (Internet of Things): This variant of the Internet of Things (IoT) enables tracking and object detection without the need for batteries. This opens the door to more extensive information collection at a lower cost, with the potential to create new ecosystems, business models, and innovative products. However, Gartner warns that social and regulatory issues must be considered before adopting this technology.
• Secure Computation: In a world where data protection is of paramount importance, secure computation allows for calculations while preserving the confidentiality of information. Gartner underscores that implementing secure computing poses challenges in terms of costs, skills, and performance, but emerging technologies such as optical accelerators will play a key role in its realization.
• Autonomous Robots: Autonomous robots, capable of operating with minimal human intervention and adapting to different environments, offer a wide range of business applications. They can perform tasks such as object lifting, surveillance, and data collection. However, Gartner highlights the many challenges associated with these technologies, including limitations in their capabilities and business, legal, and ethical implications.

These five technologies are considered potential drivers of transformation, offering businesses new opportunities and significant advantages. However, their adoption requires careful evaluation and consideration of the various issues associated with each of them.